Savory Recipes w/ Cream Cheese?

[soypower]

i have a ton of leftover cream cheese and was looking for ideas to use it up...i've got whipped cream cheese w/ chives and garden vegetable cream cheese, so i'm hoping for savory ideas...

thanks.

[dockhl]

This is a terrific and easy souffle:

Flourless Cheese Souffle

SERVES 4

2 tablespoons butter (softened)
6 large eggs (separated)
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1 1/2 cups finely grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese

Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Coat a 6-cup souffle dish with the butter.
In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, cayenne, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
Beat with a wire whisk until light and fluffy.
Add the cream cheese and grated cheese and whisk until well combined and smooth.
In another bowl, beat the egg whites until somewhat stiff peaks form.
Fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture.
Spoon into the greased dish and place on a baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Reduce the heat to 400°F and bake an additional 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

[kc girl]

Soft chorizo and cream cheese heated and blended in a slow cooker make a great sauce for London broil, hot dogs, or tortilla chips. So simple.

[kc girl]

Use the cream cheese in sauces instead of other cream. This is for dishes that can take the "twang" such as risotto with lemon and rosemary, clam linguini, macaroni and cheddar cheese, lemon capers chives sauce, the combos are endless.

Egg white omelette: Sautee crimini mushrooms in butter and "Bell'Aroma" spice by The Spice Hunter. Add some fresh spinach and wilt into mushroom mixture. Set some aside. Add cream cheese and a bit of water or pinot grigio to the rest, snip some chives in. Assemble omelete and pour on the sauce.

Deglaze pans as you do, then add some of the cream cheese and then a little butter to make it a rich, creamy sauce.

[maplesugar]

Smoked salmon dip or sandwiches
Filling for savoury shortbread
Puff pastry/phyllo appetizers
+1 for goodhealthgourmet's suggestions too ...I just might have to put the cream cheese in my fridge to good use this weekend

Thanks soypower :)

[JungMann]

Perfect for filling savory, gooey crab rangoons.

[Pampatz]

Someone mentioned using cream cheese in potato soup in a thread a few months ago. Sounded good, but I haven't tried it yet.
Also I have been substituting cream cheese for some of the butter or Crisco in a pie crust with very good results.

[marti]

That potato soup with the cream cheese is the best ever!! I made it 4 days straight when I first tried it and we have had it at least once a week since.

[katecm]

It's nice mixed into a chicken salad with onion and dill, stuffed inside crescent rolls and baked.

[chef chicklet]

I think your mixed whipped cream cheese could be used in this baked spread nicely.
Garlicky Artichoke Dip
2 cans of artichokes cut fine or 2 boxes frozen Artichoke hearts
1 8oz pkg. Cream Cheese or Mascarpone
1 cup mayonnaise
2 shallots sautéed – see above add the garlic after the shallots
5 garlic gloves cut into pieces and sautéed with the shallots to golden color
½ lemon- juice only
½ cup grated parmesan
Salt and cracked pepper to taste

Drain the artichoke hearts well and rinse, put that and all but the lemon juice and the Parmesan cheese to a blender or food processor, and with short bursts mix, not pureeing but smallish pieces to make for easy spreading.
Pour into a nice baking crock or dish (one you can serve out of)
Parm goes on the top..

I took an old standby and just messed around with it. I think the lemon does something along with whipping it in a blender. Sometimes I just get lucky!

[chowfamily]

Thanks so much for this recipe.

I was asked to make an artichoke dip and am still not sure what to serve it with.

I'm thinking about increasing the artichokes and maybe blending them more finely. This is for an older, traditional group.

[Val]

Heh, this is an OLD recipe from a free brochure I picked up with rice recipes...this sauce is surprisingly good and I now use cream cheese from time to time if I'm stuck trying to make an herb cheese sauce...it really works and is much cheaper than Boursin or Alouette ($5.99 per package now!!! What the ____????!!!@^#)

Italian Meatballs with Herb Sauce

1 pound lean ground beef (you could use turkey instead)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 - 3 ounce package cream cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2-3 Tablespoons chopped parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup hot beef broth or stock

Combine meat, onion, crumbs, salt & pepper. Form into 12 balls and brown on all sides in oil. Drain off any fat or grease. Combine remaining ingredients and blend til smooth. Pour over meatballs, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Thicken with cornstarch dissolved in cold water if desired. Very good over rice.

[goodhealthgourmet]

baked artichoke or crab dip
smoked fish dip
blended into white bean dip with sun-dried tomatoes and/or roasted red peppers
gratin [e.g. potato, cauliflower]
mashed potatoes
filling for a savory napoleon